Silver Lake, Vermont

Site Overview:

Silver Lake State Park is a small body of water just across the Vermont state line from New Hampshire in Barnard. It’s an excellent option for divers who are looking to dive Vermont but aren’t able to make up to Burlington. The park is fairly quiet and parking is plentiful. Divers can easily set-up near a small sand beach and swim platform. Entry from the beach is mucky, so the swim platform may be the better option, provided it’s not crowded with swimmers. There is a changing house adjacent to the parking lot. Divers can also opt to camp in the park. Reservations for camping can be made at: https://vtstateparks.com/silver.html

Site Specifics:

Recommended entry is from the swim platform. However, divers may opt to enter at the far left side of the beach. For a beach entry, be prepared for muck. The bottom is silty throughout, but if divers are mindful of their fins and practice good buoyancy, then the bottom will provide a delightful array of moon snails, fresh water clams, and a few fish. Average depth for the dive is 9-14ft, although divers can find up to 32 ft of depth. Since it is such a small lake, it heats up fairly quickly in the spring. On Memorial Day the minimum temperature at depth was 64 deg F with a surface temperature of 72 deg F.

Restrictions:

Entry fee for the park is $4/person. Day use hours are 10 am to sunset. There do not appear to be any restrictions on diving, though Vermont does require divers to display a dive flag. Check out the regulations here.